Dan Flowers, president and CEO of Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, has been named the 2025 John van Hengel Fellow by Feeding America during the organization’s annual conference in Atlanta last week.
The John van Hengel Fellowship Award is the highest honor in food banking and is intended to be the crowning honor of the winner’s career. This lifetime achievement award celebrates individuals whose careers have been defined by unwavering dedication to fighting hunger and serving communities in need. It recognizes their commitment to community engagement, innovation, collaboration, inspiring others, building capacity and centering people facing hunger.
Established in 2002, the award honors John van Hengel, the founder of the world’s first food bank, St. Mary’s in Phoenix, and widely regarded as the “Father of Food Banking.” In the 1960's, his pioneering vision laid the foundation for the very concept that our entire network is based upon today.
Dan Flowers has dedicated nearly 30 years to food banking, beginning his career as an agency relations coordinator and now serving as president and CEO of the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank for the past two decades. Throughout his tenure, he has built strong relationships with neighbors and community partners, including corporations, foundations, and government entities, to expand the Foodbank’s reach and impact.
To ensure neighbor voices and perspectives were centered in decision-making, Dan prioritizes speaking with neighbors through community cookouts, focus groups and conversations. He has championed innovation like online ordering to improve access to food. As an advocate, he served as the chair of the Ohio Association of Foodbanks Board for five years and has been an engaged nationally by holding leadership roles within the Feeding America network.
“Dan leads by example and brings people together to improve communities and lives. He embodies the qualities of servant leadership upon which the John van Hengel Fellowship Award is modeled,” said Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America. “By standing shoulder to shoulder with people experiencing food insecurity and building inclusive environments and partnerships, we can make remarkable progress toward ending hunger. Dan’s unifying, hands-on approach reflects this truth and drives incredible impact. I am deeply proud to work beside him in our mission to end hunger for good in America.”
“I was surprised and, of course, deeply humbled by this recognition,” said Dan. “Early in my career, I had the chance to meet John van Hengel and have told his story 10,000 times. I have been mentored by many past recipients of this award and deeply respect them all. Becoming a John van Hengel Fellow is the greatest honor of my career, no question. Even more, this recognition reflects the passion and hard work of our entire Foodbank team, our network partners, and the incredible community we serve. We’ve built something special together – not just a food bank, but a movement rooted in compassion and connection. I share this award with everyone who believes in a future without hunger.”
As part of his Fellowship, Dan will be invited to speak at next year’s Feeding America annual conference, addressing an audience of approximately 700 food bank leaders and colleagues from across the country.
In addition to the Fellowship recognition, the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank received a Network Collaboration Award, one of only six food banks in Feeding America’s nearly 200-member national network to be honored.
The Foodbank was recognized for its innovative efforts to improve neighbor access and experience in collaboration with community organizations. During the pandemic, many local food distribution partners permanently closed. In response, the Foodbank conducted a comprehensive study of its partner network and found that two-thirds of agencies lacked a succession plan, and many struggled with volunteer engagement and financial stability.
To address these challenges, the Foodbank launched Rise Academy, bringing together agency leaders from across its eight-county service area for professional training in areas such as fundraising, strategic planning, and organizational development. Participants of the program continue to support one another through collaboration, sharing best practices, and working together to expand services and recruit volunteers.
